Recently, I have been more interested in getting in frequent swim workouts, then actually worrying about what I am trying to accomplish in the water. On many occasions, I will arrive at the pool for an independent workout without a much of a plan.
Are these workouts garbage, or are the beneficial because I am filling the gaps between planned team workouts?
My independent workouts are fairly short, always less than 3k meters unless I have a planned set, and the workouts usually have a single focus, even when that focus materializes only minutes before jumping into the water. The focus can be somewhat general (kick) or it can be specific (EVF while sprinting).
The team workouts usually have a useful theme for the main set.
I'm not quite sure about how to define "garbage yardage." I understand the concept of maintaining good form while swimming, but I think there's merit to swimming distances beyond what your capable of in "super perfect form." It can be an opportunity to develop the strength/endurance needed to swim your race in good form, even when you're tired. However, I don't think you should swim beyond the point where you're stroke breaks down entirely and I think there's a fine line between building your engine and blowing a gasket, so to speak.
For myself I probably swim more yardage than I need to since I'm currently focusing on 50s & 100s, but I also use swimming as a means of maintaining health (managing cholesterol, blood pressure, cardiovascular health, etc.), and also as a means of relieving stress and getting that endorphin fix.
I usually don't decide what I'm going to swim workout-wise until I finish with some sort of warmup. This probably explains the monotony of my workouts, I have to do relatively simple sets so I can remember what I did later.
Based on your post, IMHO it didn't look like you were doing garbage. I would define garbage yardage as plowing through a swim when you really don't want to be there. It sounded like you want to get some more swim time in, so why not?
:banana:
I'm not quite sure about how to define "garbage yardage." I understand the concept of maintaining good form while swimming, but I think there's merit to swimming distances beyond what your capable of in "super perfect form." It can be an opportunity to develop the strength/endurance needed to swim your race in good form, even when you're tired. However, I don't think you should swim beyond the point where you're stroke breaks down entirely and I think there's a fine line between building your engine and blowing a gasket, so to speak.
For myself I probably swim more yardage than I need to since I'm currently focusing on 50s & 100s, but I also use swimming as a means of maintaining health (managing cholesterol, blood pressure, cardiovascular health, etc.), and also as a means of relieving stress and getting that endorphin fix.
I usually don't decide what I'm going to swim workout-wise until I finish with some sort of warmup. This probably explains the monotony of my workouts, I have to do relatively simple sets so I can remember what I did later.
Based on your post, IMHO it didn't look like you were doing garbage. I would define garbage yardage as plowing through a swim when you really don't want to be there. It sounded like you want to get some more swim time in, so why not?
:banana:
